For me, 2009 was a rough year for movies. Typically at the end of the year, I have at least a dozen of films that I absolutely loved to death. This past year? It took me a long time to lock in my top five films of the year, which just means they were each chosen with extreme care. Here's hoping 2010 throws dozens of worship-inducing flicks my way.
--Darcie Duttweiler
Check out my Top 5 of 2009 after the jump!
--Darcie Duttweiler
Check out my Top 5 of 2009 after the jump!
5. Avatar
Not to copy Mark’s list, but I too also thoroughly enjoyed James Cameron’s latest opus. Now, okay the story is basically a rip-off of many other environmental movies where we’re the bad guys who want to wipe out an entire race. And, yeah, the character development is definitely lacking. But Cameron has given us an epic feast for the eyes. I couldn’t help but watch Avatar with a sense of childlike wonder. It is completely beautiful, and, for that, I sacrifice a little bit of plot.
Not to copy Mark’s list, but I too also thoroughly enjoyed James Cameron’s latest opus. Now, okay the story is basically a rip-off of many other environmental movies where we’re the bad guys who want to wipe out an entire race. And, yeah, the character development is definitely lacking. But Cameron has given us an epic feast for the eyes. I couldn’t help but watch Avatar with a sense of childlike wonder. It is completely beautiful, and, for that, I sacrifice a little bit of plot.
4. The Hurt Locker
Greg and I saw this film at last year’s South by Southwest, and I went into the film not knowing anything about it other than it was “just another war movie.” Man was I pleasantly surprised. From the opening scene to the closing credits, The Hurt Locker is a tightly knit movie full of tense moments, precision-like directing, and incredible acting from Jeremy Renner. Renner is just so damn good in this film, which is anything but “just another war movie.”
Greg and I saw this film at last year’s South by Southwest, and I went into the film not knowing anything about it other than it was “just another war movie.” Man was I pleasantly surprised. From the opening scene to the closing credits, The Hurt Locker is a tightly knit movie full of tense moments, precision-like directing, and incredible acting from Jeremy Renner. Renner is just so damn good in this film, which is anything but “just another war movie.”
3. An Education
Unlike The Hurt Locker, I had read so many glowing reviews for An Education before I got the pleasure of seeing it at the Austin Film Festival last October, so I went into this film expecting something great—but with a little trepidation as well. While I have loved Nick Hornby, I was worried about how he’d handle his female protagonist, and I was leery about Peter Sarsgaard adopting a believable British accent. An Education definitely lived up to its hype though. Newcomer Carey Mulligan is luminescent in this role, and Alfred Molina is on top of his game.
Unlike The Hurt Locker, I had read so many glowing reviews for An Education before I got the pleasure of seeing it at the Austin Film Festival last October, so I went into this film expecting something great—but with a little trepidation as well. While I have loved Nick Hornby, I was worried about how he’d handle his female protagonist, and I was leery about Peter Sarsgaard adopting a believable British accent. An Education definitely lived up to its hype though. Newcomer Carey Mulligan is luminescent in this role, and Alfred Molina is on top of his game.
2. Inlgourious Basterds
I wanted to hate this film because Quentin Tarantino gets under my skin. He always comes off like his shit don’t stink, and even though I love a great deal of his previous works, I still dislike him. Couple that with the blatant misspelling of the title, and I was well on my way to a hard sell. (Are you seeing a theme on all of these?) From the first scene of the film, with the AMAZING Christolph Waltz, to the very last harrowing moment, this film really sucked me in. The acting, the writing, the directing—they are all really top notch. Plus I totally got a girl crush on Melanie Laurent. This movie is just so damn good.
I wanted to hate this film because Quentin Tarantino gets under my skin. He always comes off like his shit don’t stink, and even though I love a great deal of his previous works, I still dislike him. Couple that with the blatant misspelling of the title, and I was well on my way to a hard sell. (Are you seeing a theme on all of these?) From the first scene of the film, with the AMAZING Christolph Waltz, to the very last harrowing moment, this film really sucked me in. The acting, the writing, the directing—they are all really top notch. Plus I totally got a girl crush on Melanie Laurent. This movie is just so damn good.
1. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
From the very first trailer of this film I knew I was going to love it. It’s like combining Wallace and Gromit with the wackiness and Wes Anderson-ness of The Royal Tennenbaums. It’s, by far, Anderson’s best film first and an animated film second. It’s full of life, characters, story, and images that are just so full and robust that you can’t help but fall in love with it. I literally watched this film with a smile on my face the whole time. While it’s not maybe the best movie for a small child, it has so many nuances that make the film so remarkable. It’s just an absolute joy to watch.
From the very first trailer of this film I knew I was going to love it. It’s like combining Wallace and Gromit with the wackiness and Wes Anderson-ness of The Royal Tennenbaums. It’s, by far, Anderson’s best film first and an animated film second. It’s full of life, characters, story, and images that are just so full and robust that you can’t help but fall in love with it. I literally watched this film with a smile on my face the whole time. While it’s not maybe the best movie for a small child, it has so many nuances that make the film so remarkable. It’s just an absolute joy to watch.
Guilty Pleasure of the Year
A guilty pleasure is a movie that you know is soooooo bad but can’t help enjoying. It’s a movie you don’t even dare go see in theaters for fear of someone seeing you. One spring day Greg and I were both hung-over and feeling lazy and wanted to watch something mindnumbingly dumb on the On Demand channel. Somehow we settled on Fired Up! I don’t even know how it happened, but it’s a day we recall fondly now. This stupid boy cheerleading movie is so stupidly funny we almost wet ourselves. Never mind the two lead dudes are blatantly too old to play teens—pay attention to Dr. Rick, whose ‘90s soundtrack clearly demonstrates the ridiculousness of this movie. It’s totally worth a watch.
A guilty pleasure is a movie that you know is soooooo bad but can’t help enjoying. It’s a movie you don’t even dare go see in theaters for fear of someone seeing you. One spring day Greg and I were both hung-over and feeling lazy and wanted to watch something mindnumbingly dumb on the On Demand channel. Somehow we settled on Fired Up! I don’t even know how it happened, but it’s a day we recall fondly now. This stupid boy cheerleading movie is so stupidly funny we almost wet ourselves. Never mind the two lead dudes are blatantly too old to play teens—pay attention to Dr. Rick, whose ‘90s soundtrack clearly demonstrates the ridiculousness of this movie. It’s totally worth a watch.
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